


Calling Home

by IncendiaGlacies



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Non-Linear Narrative, RipFic, missing five years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 07:38:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15456468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncendiaGlacies/pseuds/IncendiaGlacies
Summary: “Gideon,” Rip breathed. It had worked – it had actually worked! “Gideon, I need you to-”“Captain Hunter is currently evacuating the Waverider from Pompeii,” Gideon informed him. “I’m afraid you have called the wrong timeline, Captain.”During his five years creating the Bureau, Rip makes several calls to Gideon on the Waverider in an attempt to find the Legends. But his calls don’t always go to the right time he wants.





	Calling Home

Rip tapped his pencil against the desk as he listened to the ringing. Agent Sharpe was probably right; this was a stupid attempt and probably wouldn’t even work. Phoning the _Waverider_? It was laughable. But it had been seven months and time was breaking even faster, he had to make sure the Legends were safe. And then yell at them of course.

“Captain Hunter?”

Rip jolted at the voice. It had been so long he had almost forgotten the softness in her words, the loyalty, and the utmost faith in him.

“Gideon,” Rip breathed. It had worked – it had actually worked! “Gideon, I need you to-”

“No.”

“What? Gideon?” Rip pulled the phone away and frowned at it, as if he could figure out what was wrong with her from here. “But you didn’t even-”

“Captain Hunter is currently evacuating the _Waverider_ from Pompeii,” Gideon informed him. “I’m afraid you have called the wrong timeline, Captain.”

Oh, oh no. He had called too early. Far before the Legends’ time. In fact, if he remembered correctly, he had only just told her about Miranda. And she was still in the state of being where every other thing he did annoyed her. Though, he always thought it was more for show.

“Yes, I must have,” he said softly. “I apologize, Gideon.”

“I shall assume this was a mistake?” Gideon teased him.

It brought a smile to Rip’s lips. He had missed her even more than he realized. Her friendship, support, humour and optimism. Everything about her

“Yes, Gideon. It was a mistake.”

“Predictable,” Gideon taunted. Then softer, she promised, “I won’t mention it to you, keep the timeline intact.”

The timeline is buggered anyway, Rip wanted to say but stopped himself at the last moment. “Yes, don’t mention it to me. But keep your memory of this, don’t delete it from your recall, just in case.”

“As you wish, Captain.”

Rip smiled bigger, she did care about him. Even then. “I’ll talk to you soon, Gideon. It was good to hear your voice again,” he said longingly.

“What does that mean?” Gideon asked inquisitively.

“Nothing.” Rip shook his head even though she wouldn’t be able to see. “I’m sorry Gideon, I didn’t mean to call.”

“I hope you return to me soon,” Gideon said suddenly. Rip paused and stared at the phone in confusion. How could she possibly know?

“Gideon?”

“I look forward to our next call, Captain. And apologies for when I hang up on you.”

She cut the line before he could respond, leaving Rip with a mess of questions and absolutely no answers.

* * *

 

He should have left it at that. He tried and failed. Most people would leave it at that. Most people weren’t Rip Hunter who missed his best friend (or perhaps something more?) immensely. He called again, hoping for some answers this time.

“Captain.” Gideon’s voice was cold but Rip knew her well enough to hear the fear wavering in her voice. Could he have finally gotten the right time?

“Gideon, tell me what’s wrong.” He stood up straight, wanting to solve all her problems, wanting to eradicate whatever it was that was making her so upset.

“You’re gone.”

“Yes, I know,” he sighed heavily. “It was a mistake and I’m trying to find my way back to you-”

“You killed Ms. Lance.”

Rip paused at that, still too early then. “Yes, I did,” he said guiltily.

“You turned off my ship-”

“Our ship,” Rip muttered, trying to correct her.

“You’re not here and possession is nine-tenths of the law,” Gideon trilled in his ear. She would never let go of this age-old debate.

“Fair enough,” Rip gave in. “Tell me what’s happening for you now? Please?” He had to pinpoint when his calls were going through, at what point time began to unravel.

“You touched the timedrive, lost your memory, and the Legion of Doom abducted you and twisted your mind before we could help you,” Gideon said succinctly.

“So I’m still evil in your time.” Rip sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. “In which case I apologize profusely for what I do to you and the Legends. But know that you save me in the end.” Gideon saved him. The Legends may have had their hand in his rescue, but Gideon was the one that reminded him who he was, the one he could trust for what was real and what wasn’t. He could always depend on Gideon. Except it seemed, she couldn’t depend on him.

“I miss you. But I look forward to our reunion, Captain,” Gideon said sincerely. “Even if it means you will leave me once again.”

“What makes you say that?” Rip asked with a frown. He would, but it didn’t explain how she knew. She gave no response. Rip stared at the phone. “Gideon, answer me!” He took a shaky breath, his eyes widening in realization…”This isn’t the first time I’ve called you. You already know what’s going to happen, you’ve known for quite some time, haven’t you?”

“You don’t always tell me everything. I have bits and pieces and I can extrapolate from the data that I have.”

“Oh, Gideon,” Rip said softly. It must have been torture to have this knowledge of the future, his future and hers. He hardened himself. “I demand that you lock away your memories. You shouldn’t know my personal future, especially how it entangles with yours.”

“You are in no position to make demands of me, Captain,” Gideon said testily. “Moreover, I cannot. You have already called before; an order wasn’t issued then and you cannot rewrite time.”

And he couldn’t do it later because she had already told him he wouldn’t.

“Fine,” he griped. Assuming she could keep a secret – and seeing as he had no memory of her mentioning these conversations she could – then perhaps time wouldn’t be at any more jeopardy than it already was. “Just don’t tell me anything.”

“I never did before,” Gideon pointed out.

“Still, I will have to watch what I say around you, I suppose. As will you.”

“Of course, Captain. Though, might I say that I am very much looking forward to our kiss?” Gideon said cheekily.

Rip felt the flush on the back of his neck and his cheeks heating up. He groaned inwardly. His future self was apparently an idiot!

“Well you should,” he tried for a flippant tone, “it was a fantastic kiss.” And then he would leave her a week later.

Gideon’s voice was simply music to his ears. “I have no doubt. Until the next time, Captain Hunter.”

* * *

 

He called Gideon when he could, but not as often as he would have liked. Unfortunately, setting up the Time Bureau was relentless work, more so with no idea where the Legends are. The _Waverider_ was the epicenter of all the aberrations, time breaking, the whole mess of it. And Rip was still no closer to finding it. The few conversations he managed with Gideon was the only thing helping him cling to his sanity. Even if they didn’t always go the way he wanted them to.

“Hello Captain,” Gideon whispered as she answered the call.

“Gideon, why are you whispering?”

“We’re playing hide-and-seek.”

Leave it to the Legends to find some childish game to latch onto.

“I see. Who’s winning?” Rip asked. Depending on who was on board at the time, his money would be on Mr. Snart.

“Jonas is still looking for me,” Gideon revealed gleefully.

Rip inhaled sharply. Of all the possible situations, he hadn’t considered that he could possibly call when his family – his little boy – was still alive. He swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to calm his beating heart, trying to find the strength to hang up and never call again.

“Captain, are you all right?” Gideon asked worriedly. “You have not spoken in two minutes and thirteen seconds.”

“Fine.” Rip’s voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “Fine, I’m perfectly fine, Gideon.” He would be, hopefully. He just wanted to know, perhaps there was some way…

“I would place him on the call for you, but I am afraid you are also currently in the galley with Miranda,” Gideon said apologetically. But not nearly enough to know the truth of what would one day happen to his – their – family.

“I understand,” Rip said sadly. The timeline was already in peril, he couldn’t risk it. “Gideon, do you think maybe you could put it on speakerphone, so I could at least hear him even if I can’t talk to him?”

“Of course, Captain Hunter.”

In the background, Rip could hear his son giggling and screeching Gideon’s name. She teased him, leading him down corridors happily, making sure he was safe the entire time. Finally, Jonas let out a particularly happy squeal, signaling that at long last he had found Gideon.

“Got you!” he laughed. Rip could already imagine Jonas falling down, a smile plastered on his face as he pointed at Gideon’s hologram as she appeared over the console. The very thought of it caused Rip’s throat to close up, tears stinging his eyes. Then he heard her voice, oh her beautiful angelic voice.

“Jonas, it’s nap time! Where have you gone off to now?”

Miranda. His beloved Miranda. Rip turned off the phone before he could do anything even more stupid than endanger his own timeline. He took a deep breath and leaned against his desk, closing his eyes and trying to rid his thoughts of ‘what ifs’. It still hurt far too much and this time he was completely alone in his grief.

* * *

 

“I’m sorry!”

“What for?” Rip asked blandly as he looked over the report Agent Green had compiled on the latest aberration. Over the years he had gotten used to Gideon’s outbursts and dramatics. In fact, he would even go as far as to say he found them amusing. Unless of course she insisted on locking him in the medbay.

“If you have to ask then I can’t tell you,” Gideon said quietly.

“I ask because I believe this might be the first time you’ve actually apologized for something you did. So what is it?”

Gideon remained silent once more. Rip sighed and shook his head, running his mind through the possible scenarios of what she was apologizing for. She would never admit fault in any case…unless of course he was physically injured. He racked his brain for any such situation (of which there were, admittedly, numerous) for which she would feel responsible for. Answer: above ninety percent because (according to her) his guilt was infectious.

“Do you blame yourself for the Legion abducting me?” he asked somewhat broadly. Rip had improved in understanding when he was calling her now. Normally, the closer it was to time breaking, she had a certain softness, desperation to her voice. Such was the case now.

“Yes. But that was quite some time ago now.”

Rip paused at that. “What?” He stared at the phone and dashed to his computer, trying to use the tracking system to find her – the _Waverider._ This might be the closest they would get to finding the Legends, the center of the time quakes. “Gideon, I need you to give me your coordinates, so I can finally find you and-”

“You already did.”

Her voice was harsh, cold, unforgiving. In other words, not something Rip was used to since their early days together.

“I found you?” Rip knew she was angry with him, but he couldn’t stop the sigh of relief. He would find them eventually, find her, and she would be safe. They all would be.

“Yes.”

“How long does it take?” he asked, already looking at the calendar. Two years without his best friend, he was beginning to go mad with all the mystery in conversations, the cryptic messages between them, and of course, the never ending secrets she kept from him, and (apparently) he would one day keep from her.

“You know I can’t tell you that, Director Hunter.”

The title made Rip’s heart stop for a second. _Director._ Not Captain. Which meant…”Is Ms. Lance still acting as your Captain?”

“She is.”

“Oh,” he said softly. He had always imagined he would take control of the _Waverider_ once more when they returned. Obviously, he had never been the Legends’ true Captain, but he and Gideon always had a special bond. If he had learned anything from their clandestine phone calls, it was how loyal she remained to him throughout all his stupidity. “I just thought that we would…”

“You didn’t want me,” Gideon stated monotonously.

“Did I say that?”

“No. You didn’t have to, your actions were plenty,” Gideon said sadly.

“If I didn’t say it, it means it’s not true and I’m never going to say it. If I let you go with the Legends it was most likely to keep an eye on them,” he said logically. It would be unbearable to be apart from her again, but perhaps their phone calls would continue.

“Yes, I’m sure!” Gideon hissed at him. “That’s why I was turned off for months, disrespected by your so-called Bureau agents and directors, all while you ran around chasing down Mallus.”

“Mallus?” Rip asked in a hushed tone. “Gideon, he is a myth. Even the Time Masters would never dare speak his name. What do you know?”

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Gideon hurried. “I apologize – I should not have-”

“You already did,” Rip cut her off. And it seemed there was something about this mythical Time Demon (if the stories were true) Rip had to deal with. Add that onto the never-ending list of things to do at the Bureau.

“This is all my fault,” Gideon whispered in his ear. Rip ignored her, already making plans to search up the library for any information he could find on Mallus. Gideon wouldn’t have let it slip if it wasn’t important. With time breaking, the last thing they needed was an actual Time Demon on their hands. But that still left one other question…

“Gideon, why were you apologizing when you got on the call?”

“Something bad happened,” she said softly. “Something terrible, I chose the Legends over you, and now I fear I’ve lost you forever. I’m sorry, Captain. Forgive me, please.”

Rip swallowed the lump in his throat. Asking questions of the future was a mistake, he didn’t like what he learned, what had to happen. Turn Gideon off, give her up, lose her altogether, it seemed. The future was nothing but pain.

“I’m sure I’ll understand when it happens. Bye for now, Gideon.” He hung up before he could listen to her goodbye.

* * *

 

“Hello?”

“Gideon!” Rip greeted brightly. “I don’t suppose you know where I kept my revolver, do you?”

It had become somewhat of a game between them. They would end their conversations with a question, and an agreed upon answer. If Gideon answered correctly the next time he called they could assume the calls were going through in a somewhat linear fashion. It gave Rip hope that perhaps time was healing. However, it had only happened twice so far, not nearly enough.

“How are you calling me?” Gideon demanded. “This is a private number, who is this?”

“Gideon? It’s your Captain.” Rip frowned at the phone, perhaps it was too early in her timestream?

“Captain Jones is already aboard.”

_Captain Jones?_

“You don’t know who I am?” he demanded. “Captain Hunter?” Rip didn’t care that telling her who he was too early could have potentially harmed time. Time was already broken!

“No. Goodbye.”

There was a click and then a dial tone leaving a dull pang in Rip’s heart.

* * *

 

“Rip?”

“Gideon?” Rip put down his book (written by the Ancient Greeks on their testimonies of Mallus) and focused on her for once. She sounded sad, and hopeful, and most importantly, she used his name. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly.

“Nothing,” she said. “I just…missed you.”

Rip smiled sadly. “I miss you too. I keep hoping that tomorrow will be the day we find the _Waverider,_ but it hasn’t happened yet.”

“Yes, I know how that feels,” Gideon said quietly. “I keep hoping…”

“What is it?” he prompted her.

“Nothing.”

“Gideon.”

“Your future. I can’t, even if I want to, and I do,” she insisted. “But you would never allow it, stickler for the rules.”

The attempt at teasing, though weak, still brought a smile to his face. “Remember who you’re talking to!” he mock lectured her. “I was the biggest rule breaker at the Time Master Academy!” And it seemed at the Bureau. His colleagues insisted he was wasting his time searching for Mallus, but Rip knew there was something there. Something in the shadows, lurking. Not all the aberrations were the same, some of them were just peculiar.

“I must have rubbed off on you,” Gideon said, slightly brighter.

“Yes, you must have.”

There was silence then, neither speaking, each simply enjoying the other’s presence, even if it was merely auditory. It had always been that way for them somehow, and Rip didn’t mind in the slightest.

“If I asked you to do something, would you?” Gideon asked delicately.

“Depends on what it is.” He knew just how ridiculous her requests could be. Once, she had Doctor Palmer run a marathon in the ship just because she was bored.

“Don’t look for Mallus. Just leave it alone, please?”

“Not you too,” Rip sighed deeply. “I thought you, of all people – don’t argue with me on my terminology – but I thought you could understand, support me. I need that Gideon. Now more than ever.”

“I didn’t think so,” she said, answering her own question. “I will always support you, I always believe in you, but I had to try.”

“The very fabric of time – the world is in danger, Gideon. I have to do my part,” he said, trying to make her see reason.

“And if the price is too high?”

Rip swallowed and looked down. “I’ve already paid the highest price there is,” he said, thinking of his family.

“I’m sorry, I have to go,” Gideon said suddenly. “Mr. Constantine and Ms. Young require my assistance.”

“All right, I’ll let you go,” Rip said, biting his tongue even though he wanted to ask who exactly the Legends had recruited now. And why did they need a master of magic and occult?

“Goodbye, Captain. I’ll miss you,” Gideon whispered before hanging up.

Rip frowned at the phone and shook his head. That had been strange.

* * *

 

“Can I speak with Jonas?”

Rip’s heart stuttered and he nearly dropped the phone. “Excuse me?”

“I thought so,” Gideon replied sadly. “I apologize for the painful request, Captain Hunter, but I had to know.”

“Know what?”

“If it worked,” she said softly. “Recruiting the Legends to try and save our family. I had hoped that for once my calculations would be wrong, less than fifty percent chance, but not impossible. But it doesn’t work, does it?”

“No,” Rip whispered hoarsely. “I couldn’t save them.”

“So this is all for nothing then?” Gideon demanded. “Ms. Saunders is training to defeat Savage without her other half and in the end it won’t even work? We still lose our family.”

“Yes. We defeat Savage and still lose them.”

“And I’m meant to keep that from you? How is our partnership to survive with the constant secrets I’m keeping from you?” Gideon asked him. “The phone calls, intimate knowledge of your future. It’s not fair to ask this of me, Captain.”

“I know, Gideon, I know,” he tried to soothe her. “I know how unfair it is, but I-” He what? He was lonely? He missed her? When was the last time he had tried tracking the _Waverider_ instead of Mallus? “I only trust you.”

“You wouldn’t if you knew how much I lied to you.”

“I know now and I still trust you,” he said willfully. “Besides, there will be times when you disagree with me, when I lie to you, keep secrets, times that have already happened for you,” he said quietly, remembering the Spear of Destiny. “And I hope that one day you can forgive me for my transgressions as well.”

“I see.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “More than you know, for everything I put you through. I’m sorry.”

“I know, Captain.”

“And will you forgive me?” he asked desperately. The forgiveness which he so desperately wished from a Gideon that corresponded with his own timeline, but alas, he never got what he wished for.

“I don’t even know what you’ve done yet,” Gideon reminded him. “It would be an empty forgiveness.”

It would still be better than nothing.

“Then I can only hope you will forgive me when we meet again.”

“I suppose only time will tell, Captain,” Gideon said softly. It lit a flame of hope in Rip’s heart.

* * *

 

Rip curled up under his desk, leaning against the drawers, and listened to the ringing. It never took Gideon this long to pick up, and he desperately needed his best friend now. He was avoiding everyone else at the Bureau, Gideon was the only one that had ever understood him.

“Hello?”

Her voice sounded different. Fuller somehow, the happiness almost tangible in the word, and most importantly, surprised.

“Gideon?” he asked, his voice breaking. The stress of the Bureau, of the Legends missing, everything was getting to him. He closed his eyes against the stinging tears and tilted his head back, hoping for some words of reassurance from her.

“Rip?” she asked in a hushed voice. There was some static and then she came back. “It’s been a very, very long time since you have called me. I thought it was all over now.”

“Well, surprise,” he said wryly.

“It’s a very nice surprise,” she reassured him.

“I’m glad. I suppose I’m calling the future now?”

“Yes. A very long time from where you are now.” It was certainly more information than she normally gave him, which in itself was terribly surprising. Normally he had to drag the truth of the timeline out of her.

“I see.”

“What’s wrong?” she asked worriedly. “You sound upset.” There was more static and then silence as she waited for his response.

“It’s been a long day,” Rip muttered. More like a long five years.

“You sound tired,” she said in her nurturing tone. It was like a cool cloth for a fever, the love in her voice washed over him.

“I miss you,” his voice broke again. “Gideon, it’s been so long, what if I never see you again?”

“You will,” she said steadfastly. “You know you will. Just a little longer Rip, I promise.”

“And then what?” he demanded. “I’ll lose you anyway, won’t I?” Somehow, she went with the Legends and once again he would be left alone.

“Never, Rip. Never. I will always be with you, remember? You are never losing me, and I will never lose you.” There was a pause before she said in a hushed voice. “Please, please remember. No matter what happens, we will be reunited again. It’s not over until we’re together again.”

He frowned, once again with the cryptic messages. “That doesn’t even make any sense,” he muttered.

“It will, or I hope it will. Or maybe it won’t, but I had to try, didn’t I? Even if you do lecture me endlessly now when you finally realize.” She laughed as if she had told a joke. It was strange, Rip didn’t think he had ever truly heard her laugh.

“Soon?” he asked desperately, hoping she would be willing to reveal more about his future.

“How long has it been for you?”

“Five years.”

There was a sharp inhale on the other end of the line, it gave Rip pause. Who was there with her? “Yes, Rip. Very soon, I promise.”

“I hope so,” he murmured.

“I promise,” she repeated. There was some background chatter on the other end of the line. Another woman, from what he could tell from the low murmurs. He caught Gideon’s words of ‘Captain’ and ‘Tina’ and perhaps his own name but before he could consider them, she came back on the line. “I’m sorry, I have to go. Captain Ja – I mean my Captain and you – you’re both waiting on me to leave.”

“I understand,” he said, even though he really didn’t. She could always multitask before. And apparently he was never to be her Captain again.

“It will all work out, Rip, you’ll see. I promise. And – I love you.”

The line was dropped before he could respond but the words lightened the weight in his stomach and put a small smile on his face.

“Love you too,” he whispered to the empty room.

* * *

 

One ring, two rings, three rings. Rip held the phone closely, his heart pounding and his breath paused. It was silly to call now. He had Gideon, he had his Gideon but he couldn’t even talk to her. She knew everything and he still couldn’t bring it him to face her. They had only spoken in the briefest of terms discussing Mallus (a name still not uttered on his calls to the past) and he wanted to protect her from what was to come still. So he turned her off. This time he had no one to blame but himself for his heartache. Finally, finally!

“There is no caller ID and I cannot trace the call…who is this?” Gideon answered curtly.

“Gideon,” Rip breathed. He wasn’t entirely sure when it was in her timeline, but most likely early on if she didn’t realize it was him calling.

“Captain Hunter?” she asked in surprise. There was a long pause before she spoke again. “I know you now. Why do you persist on calling me?”

“Because I need you,” Rip stated bluntly, ignoring her cold tone. Very early days for them then.

“Obviously,” Gideon answered in a boisterous tone. “You know the dangers and consequences of a Time Master interfering with his own personal timeline for personal gain is-”

“I am aware of the rules, Gideon. I don’t need another one of your lectures!” Rip snapped at her. He rubbed his temples and sighed deeply. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

“Then what is it you want from me?” Gideon asked after another moment. “Simply go talk to the version of me in your own time.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Finally scrapped me then?”

The words made Rip’s stomach churn. “Never,” he said fiercely. “I just can’t talk to you right now. It’s complicated.”

“Then uncomplicate it, Captain,” Gideon said harshly.

Rip sighed again. “Look, I know you don’t like me very much at this point in time, but that’s too bad because I’m not going anywhere. You are going to be stuck with me as your Captain for a very, very long time, Gideon. So do your worst, you’re not getting rid of me.”

“How long?”

“What?” Rip asked in surprise.

“In your time, how long have you been my Captain?” she asked slowly, as if speaking to a child.

“I don’t know, nearly twenty years I suppose?” It didn’t matter that he was away from the _Waverider_ for five of those years, he was still her Captain in some respect. Gideon had assured him of that fact the last time he called to the future.

“I don’t understand. Why did you stay so long?”

“Because of the same reason I’m calling,” Rip said with a thick voice.

“Which is?”

“You’re my best friend, Gideon. The only one that I actually trust, that I rely on, that supports me no matter how idiotic I’m being – and yes, I know it’s a lot. I just miss you, Gideon. So much.”

“I’m your best friend?” Gideon asked quietly after a while. If Rip didn’t know any better he would say she almost sounded nervous.

“Yes,” he assured her. “And I’m yours, or at least I hope I still am. I put you through just as much hell as you do me and I’m sorry for that. So sorry, and I hope one day, you forgive me.”

“What do you do?”

“I can’t say,” he said miserably. That was the worst part, he could never fully tell her anything.

“Then why do you do it?”

“To keep you safe.”

“I am an Artificial Intelligence. My purpose is to protect you, not the other way around.”

“We’re best friends,” Rip reminded her gently. “Partners. We protect each other.”

“Partners?”

“Yes. Oh Gideon, just wait, you and I are going to be the most feared Time Master and AI duo the timeline has ever seen. We’ll make those Time Pirates run scared from us. We’re brilliant together.”

“You sound nostalgic,” she teased lightly.

It brought a smile to Rip’s face. “I suppose I am. I miss those days. I miss you, truly and terribly.”

“I have all those days yet to come,” Gideon said softly.

“Enjoy them. There will be good days and bad days. Days where we can’t stand each other and scream to no end, days where it’s so bad I can’t breathe and you can’t talk, days where I nearly die and you’re relentless in your worries and lectures, and there are the amazing days too. The days when we win, the days we’re so happy we could burst, the days filled with laughter, love, joy. You’ve got that all to come.

“I look forward to it.”

“You should,” Rip said decidedly. “And keep this conversation, no need to tell me, but keep it. For the days when you want to throw me off the ship, for when I’m being a right prat, replay it and don’t give up on me. Please don’t give up on me.”

“As you wish, Captain Hunter.”

Rip sighed in relief, basking in the title, the closeness she embedded in the world. They had a bond that could never be broken.

* * *

 

Rip groaned and sat up, taking a look around him. Where the bloody hell was he? He squinted against the sunlight but all he could see was the never ending grassy fields. The last thing he remembered was…panic filled him. He had to call Gideon. Rip looked down at his Time Courier, practically fried from his last stand against the Time Demon, he wasn’t even sure if she would be able to track his signal, but maybe just maybe…He fiddled with it until he got the emergency communications on, then he dialed the _Waverider._

One ring, two rings, three rings, four, five…

“Rip?” Gideon’s voice was a hushed whisper.

He sighed in relief. “Oh Gideon, I told you I’d miss you, didn’t I?”

“Are you…?”

“Alive, and well,” he lied a little. No doubt she would barricade him in the medbay once she got the chance. Not that he would mind so much, his head hurt quite a bit. “And really, really hoping that for once, I locked on to the correct timeline.”

“Yes, yes!” Gideon exclaimed. One of the few times he had actually heard such intense emotion from her. “I hoped when it wasn’t a blocked number, your Courier, and I thought-”

“I know, I know,” he said hoarsely. “We need to talk, a lot. Especially because I don’t know how long it’s been for you but it feels like no time at all for me and I don’t know where or when in time I was spat out but I need you. Please tell me you can find me?”

“A very faint signal, but I have a lock on you, Captain. We’re on our way now,” Gideon assured him.

“Oh, thank goodness,” he breathed and lied back down, closing his eyes as he waited tiredly.

“Rip?” Gideon interrupted his soon to be nap. “You know if you do anything that stupid again I’ll kill you myself, don’t you?”

“I’m aware, Gideon.” Rip laughed softly. “Forgive your idiotic Captain, I beg of you.”

“Forgiven. Forever and always.”

“Thank you. Now come find me,” he said.

They still had a lot to talk about, to go over. His sacrifice, his actions, their relationship (whatever that might be now), and just about everything else they hadn’t talked about in the past twenty years of their friendship. But for now…

“I’m ready to come home.”


End file.
